Bearing assemblies that include a plurality of polycrystalline diamond (“PCD”) bearing elements, bearing apparatuses including such bearing assemblies, and methods of operating and fabricating such bearing assemblies and apparatuses are disclosed. In an embodiment, the plurality of PCD bearing elements of one or more of the bearing assemblies disclosed herein include at least one first PCD bearing element. At least a portion of the first PCD bearing element exhibits a coercivity of about 125 Oersteds or more and a specific magnetic saturation of about 14 Gauss.Math.cm.sup.3/gram or less. The first PCD bearing element includes a bearing surface with at least one groove formed therein. In an embodiment, the plurality of PCD bearing elements also include at least one second PCD bearing element. The second PCD bearing element exhibits a coercivity that is less than and a specific magnetic saturation that is greater than the first PCD bearing element.

An electrical submersible pumping system includes thrust bearings and radial bearings fabricated from a micro-grained polycrystalline diamond compact (“USPDC”) material that is ultra-strong; and where the USPDC is produced using a catalyst free process. In examples, all components of the bearings are formed from the ultra-strong USPDC material. Pads are in the bearings that have a contact surface, and the pads selectively tilt about a tilt member in response to variations in an opposing contact surface. The tilt members are attached to or otherwise associated with the pads, and are in contact with a resilient member that improves tilting response of the pads. The resilient members are encased in jackets that cover surfaces of the resilient members not in contact with the tilt members. The jackets are set in channels formed in structure of the bearings.

A bearing assembly includes a roller bearing unit, an inner race and an outer race. The roller bearing unit is formed of polycrystalline super-hard material having a mean mass density of at most 4.5 g/cm.sup.3 and a volume-weighted arithmetic mean thermal conductivity of at least 100 W/m.Math.K.

Linear bearings assemblies are provided that include polycrystalline diamond bearing surfaces that are engaged with diamond solvent-catalyst bearing. Also provided are methods of making and using linear bearing assemblies.

Bearings assemblies are provided that include polycrystalline diamond bearing surfaces that are engaged with opposing, metal bearing surfaces that include more than trace amounts of diamond solvent-catalyst. In the bearings, the opposing bearing surface is slidingly engaged with the polycrystalline diamond bearing surface along a diamond contact area of the polycrystalline diamond bearing surface, and the polycrystalline diamond bearing surface is a continuous surface along the diamond contact area. Also provided are methods of making and using the bearing assemblies.

Method of processing a polycrystalline diamond element may include laser ablating at least a portion of a polycrystalline diamond element to form a laser-shaped surface and exposing at least a portion of the laser-shaped surface to a leaching solution to define a leached polycrystalline diamond volume and an unleached polycrystalline diamond volume.

A contact layer is formed by a deposition method on an inner surface of a first metal element by a centrifuging process, and preferably includes an inner layer of copper alloy and an outer layer of tin alloy. Such a contact layer is used in an articulation joint including a first metal element having a surface provided with the contact layer, and a second metal element with a second surface. The first and second elements are relatively movable such that first and second surfaces slide against each other.

A radial bearing assembly is provided. The radial bearing assembly includes polycrystalline diamond elements, each having an engagement surface in sliding engagement with an opposing engagement surface. The opposing engagement surface includes a diamond reactive material. The radial bearing assembly may be deployed in a variety of components and applications, including in rotor and stator assemblies. Also provided are methods of use of the radial bearing assembly, as well as methods of designing the radial bearing assembly.

Methods and apparatus for providing compliance in bearings of rotating machinery are provided. The rotating machinery may include a drive shaft movably coupled within a bearing housing. Compliant bearing assemblies may interface engagement between the drive shaft and the bearing housing, including polycrystalline diamond bearing elements, each with an engagement surface, and an opposing engagement surface of a metal that contains diamond solvent-catalyst.

The double-row self-aligning roller bearing includes an outer ring having a spherical raceway surface, and each of rollers in two rows has an outer peripheral surface whose cross-sectional shape corresponds to the raceway surface of the outer ring. The rollers in the two rows have different lengths from each other, and the length of the longer rollers is equal to or greater than 36% of a bearing width. A ratio of a contact angle of the shorter rollers relative to a contact angle of the longer rollers is within a range of 1:4 to 1:2. The contact angle of the shorter rollers has a range of 3° to 5°, and the contact angle of the longer rollers has a range of 11° to 14°.